Clean water advocates in Titusville ask court to rethink latest ruling
In a ruling, the Fifth District Court of Appeal says Titusville's “Right to Clean Water” amendment is preempted by a 2020 state law that says local ordinances can’t grant any legal rights to parts of the environment, including bodies of water.
Advocates argue that state law itself is unconstitutional and was, in any case, misinterpreted by the court. Chairman of the group Speak Up Titusville, Michael Myjak says according to the law, only people, cities and counties can have rights … And the clean water amendment voters approved doesn’t violate that.
“That's what the whole point of the right **to clean water was: that **I have a right for that water to stay clean.”
Before recently striking **down Titusville’s measure, courts previously issued two rulings in **favor of the environmentalists pushing for a right to clean water in the city. That push is part of a larger, **statewide effort for a right to clean water amendment.
Indian River Lagoon in 2025
The Indian River Lagoon's seagrass, essential to its marine ecosystem, is showing signs of recovery, demonstrating the effectiveness of ongoing cleanup efforts. Supported by a half-percent lagoon sales tax, the Save Our Indian River Lagoon (SOIRL) program has completed 100 projects, aiming to remove over 1.3 million pounds of nitrogen and 106,000 pounds of phosphorus annually.
After decades of decline caused by wetlands destruction, sewage, fertilizer, and runoff, progress is evident. Virginia Barker, director of Brevard's Natural Resources Management Department, affirmed, "Multiple datasets show that we are making progress." In 2025, efforts will include sewer plant upgrades, septic tank improvements mandated by new legislation, and continued muck dredging.
Additionally, the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program will implement a $9.4 million NOAA grant, collaborating with 10 partners to restore seagrasses, oyster reefs, living shorelines, wetlands, clam populations, and fish reefs across the watershed.
Floodgates killed more manatees than usual last year, but 19 were also rescued after storms
Of the 565 manatee deaths statewide last year, 17 died from floodgates or navigational locks.
According to FWC veterinarian Martine de Wit, Manatees often swim through water control structures, like navigational locks. Sometimes, manatees will get stuck in the doors of those structures.
In Brevard County, five manatees were killed by floodgates last year, more than in any other county. All five were adults and died in Port Canaveral.
As a human-driven and therefore preventable cause of manatee death, floodgate issues are a priority for FWC and other partner agencies, who work together to identify potential solutions,
Childhood vaccination rate continues to decline in Florida SUPER
More of your kids may be going to school with students who are not vaccinated against severe illnesses like measles and polio.
Federal data shows nearly 5 percent of kindergartners in the state received an exemption from required vaccines last school year - up from the year before.
Almost all were for non-medical reasons.
Pediatricians say they've seen a rise in vaccine hesitancy. But Dr. Jennifer Takagishi with the American Academy of Pediatrics Florida chapter says some of these deadly diseases are so rare in the U-S because so many people got vaccinated against them.
Takagishi points to recent outbreaks of measles as examples of what can happen public immunity weakens.
She says politicians voicing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines has helped fuel hesitancy about all immunizations.
She says evidence shows childhood vaccines are safe and effective.
More: www.floridatoday.com
